Forest tent caterpillars

Forest tent caterpillar

The forest tent caterpillar (FTC), Malacosoma disstria, is a native defoliator of a wide variety of hardwood trees and shrubs and can be found throughout the range of all hardwood forests in North America.

FTCs primarily feed on:

aspen

birch

basswood

oak

Quick facts

FTCs are often mistakenly called army worms.

Populations peak every 10–16 years.

Defoliation causes little damage. A second set of leaves will develop by mid-July.

There are natural control mechanisms that will cause populations to collapse.

FTCs are native insects and play critical roles in structuring aspen mixed-wood forests and helping to improve forest dynamics.